Whatever your plans are for this Thanksgiving day, remember to take a few moments to reflect on all the greatness your life has to offer and all of those special people who make life worth living.

Being grateful and giving thanks is what this holiday is all about.  What can you be thankful about?

• A warm home
• Clean clothing to keep you healthy, warm and dry
• Enough food to eat to keep you satisfied
• Family and friends who love you more than you can imagine
• Good health-having your sight, sense of smell, hearing
• Pets to come home to at the end of a long day

Many people in this world do not even have these basic necessities that we sometimes take for granted.  Tomorrow, stop for a second to remember how fortunate you are to have the things that some can only dream for; and if possible, try to help those human beings who don’t have enough.  You can do this in so many ways by donating food, helping at a soup kitchen, giving gently used clothing, offering your time to the sick or aging or by simply being a listening ear to someone who just needs a friend for the holidays.

Have a safe and healthy holiday!

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Tags: being grateful, donating food, giving thanks, good health, healthy holiday, soup kitchen, thanksgiving

Wheatgrass is said to have some unique and, in some cases, curative benefits.  Rich with vital amino acids, chlorophyll, enzymes, minerals and vitamins, this young grass is most effective when freshly juiced.

• Acts as a disinfectant.
• Aides in digestion.
• Cleanses internal organs.
• Fights tumors and neutralizes toxins.
• Helps to detoxify the liver.
• Helps to reduce high blood pressure.Restores alkalinity to the blood.
• Helps to rejuvenate aging cells when consumed.
• Improves blood sugar problems.
• Relieves sore throats when gargled.
• Soothes sunburn.
• Stimulates healing; externally applied directly to the skin, it can relieve itching almost instantly.
• Works as a sleep aide.  Try putting a tray of wheatgrass close to your headboard.  It will enhance the oxygen in the air and generate healthful negative ions to help you get a more restful night’s sleep.

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Tags: amino acids, benefits of wheatgrass, detoxify the liver, improves blood sugar, reduce high blood pressure, rejuvenate aging cells, sleep aide, soothes sunburn, wheatgrass, wheatgrass juice

The Optimum Health Institute (OHI) in San Diego is known worldwide, mainly by word of mouth.  I visited their beautifully serene, peaceful campus yesterday and found that everything I had heard about the magic of OHI was, in fact, correct.

The mission of OHI is to help promote mental, physical, emotional and spiritual healing.  The best way to experience OHI is to attend one of their Sunday evening orientation sessions.  They are held from 4-6pm at the OHI campus in Lemon Grove, CA. 

At the orientation, you will take a tour of the premises where you will see the wheatgrass greenhouse, organic garden, pool and hot tub area and the  residential quarters.  After touring the grounds, you will attend an introduction where you will learn about OHI’s three-week sessions including classes drawn from 22 ancient spiritual disciplines.

The sessions are broken down into three 1-week courses.  Guests learn how to detoxify and purify the body with a vegetarian raw foods diet, fasting and juicing.  They also learn how to quiet the mind with journaling and meditation; and how to strengthen the body with yoga and light exercise.

OHI simply is a place of love, hope and faith in oneself.  Miracles really do happen; and if your body and spirit are in need of some nuturing and healing, I highly recommend visiting OHI for a tour of their facilities.  Trust me, you won’t want to leave.

Where do you go for spiritual healing?

Tags: ancient spiritual disciplines, juicing, OHI, optimum health institute, purify the body, raw foods, san diego, spiritual healing

• Visualize. Visualize only positive situations and outcomes.  Try thinking of people, favorite places or memories that make you happy.
• Smile. It takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile! Smiling at people not only makes you look and feel good, it makes the other person feel good, too.
• Compliment. Just think of how good it feels when someone compliments your hair, eyes, clothes, etc.  Complimenting other people projects a positive attitude and, again, makes someone else feel good!
• Replace negative thoughts. When you feel like you’re about to say something negative, stop!  Think about totally trashing that negativity and putting a positive spin on it.  You’ll most likely feel better about the situation, or at least be able to let it go and move on.
• Use affirmations. Daily affirmations are a way of thinking and speaking positively in repetition.  This will help you to concentrate and visualize health, beauty and well being.  Try looking in the mirror and saying, “I am beautiful,” or “I am healthy”.

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Tags: high blood pressure, positive situations, positive thinking, replace negative thoughts, stay positive, techniques to help your attitude, use affirmations

• Feverfew.  This medicinal herb is said to inhibit the release of serotonin and prostaglandins, limiting the inflammation of blood vessels, causing a headache.  Capsules or tablets can be found in almost any health food market.  But be aware that they may take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to become effective.
• Magnesium.  Magnesium is used for stabilizing blood vessel walls and aiding in regular sleep patterns, which are vital for those with migraines.  You should notice some relief with regular, 200mg magnesium supplements twice a day.
•  Calcium and Vitamin D.  Because women, more than men, are likely to have calcium deficiencies, they tend to suffer from more migraines, especially during premenstral phase of their menstrual cycle.  According to Susan Thys-Jacobs, M.D., “the hormones that regulate calcium react negatively with high levels of estrogen and progesterone, which causes a deficiency that can trigger migraines”.  She recommends taking 100 mg of calcium and 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D with food.
•   Acupuncture.  Acupuncture can be a helpful tool in relieving and calming the blood vessels that trigger tension headaches and migraines.  Do your research when looking for a qualified acupuncturist.  Choose a practioner who holds a full doctorate degree in Chinese medicine, as they are required to go through several years of training.
• Nutritional therapies.  Many times, migraines can be triggered by the foods we eat.  Dietary avoidance is a therapy commonly used.  Additives, tyramine-containing foods (cheese, tap beer, some fruit, many processed foods, soy, nuts), sugar substitutes and missing meals all contribute to both tension headaches and migraines.  You may want to try eliminating wheat, sugar and milk products from your diet to see if the headaches occur less often and always consult a doctor before making any drastic dietary changes.
• Aromatherapy.  Peppermint, sandlewood, rosemary and eucalyptus, when used in aromatherapy, have been shown to have calming and relaxing effects.  Lavender also works well to relieve stress and can be used in a diffuser, bath or even a few drops on your pillow. 
• Chiropractic manipulation or massage.  Tension in the head, neck or back may be relieved with the use of chiropractic treatment or massge.  Many complications in this region add to headache pain; and although this therapy may not completely solve your problem, it may bring some temporary relief to your aching head.

Do you have any alternative therapies that have helped relieve headache pain? 

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Tags: acupuncture, alternative remedies for headache, Aromatherapy, headache, migraines, Stress

Journaling is on the simplest level keeping a diary. However, if instead of just recording the events of every day, you allow it to be a medium to explore the meaning behind the events in your life, it can become an important tool in your overall health.

Writing allows your stream of consciousness to help tap unconscious thoughts. It can be a powerful way to help you de-stress, especially if journals are used for problem solving and self discovery. It can be a great outlet for emptying the mind of worrying thoughts and experiences. Sometimes, it’s much safer saying something on paper instead of yelling at or saying something hurtful to another person.

Studies have shown that journaling can help you

• store your creative ideas to use later.
• achieve your goals by clarifying them.
• learn about yourself.
• solve problems more easily.
• deal more appropriately with stressful events.
• emotionally heal from traumatic situations.
• enhance your relationships with others.

The most effective way to achieve these benefits is to just let it flow. Don’t censor what you write or worry about grammar and structure. Try to write everyday for at least 10 minutes or more if you have the time. Make sure you have a comfortable spot where you are less likely to be interrupted.

It is easy to start a journal with just a few tools. You simply need paper and a writing implement or if you are artistically inclined, a drawing implement as well. If you would prefer something with more style, there are many beautiful journals available at stationary or book stores. If you’d like some ideas on how to begin or what to write about there are a number of resources available online.

Here are a few suggestions to spark your own ideas:

• Find a quote that speaks to you. Copy down that quote and write about why you like it.
• Choose a memory that involves you favorite color/smell/sight and write it in detail.
• Write a letter to someone you wish you could speak to.
• Find a photograph that you love. Describe why.